Rachel Shannon

It was because of what happened in his childhood, as if he does not have free will and does not have any decision-making skills as a 24-year-old adult.

The defense argued that his obsession with murder and serial killers was because of his mental health struggles.

They said, quote,

Psychiatrists characterize it as a kind of self-harm, someone who has developed an addiction to seeking out material, going back to it again and again.

Cody describes it as self-medicating.

If he can shock himself, he might shock himself out of what he felt he had become capable of doing.

They argued that in the days leading to the murder, he felt the storm clouds gathering and felt incapable of addressing them.

But none of what the defense had to say is any excuse for what Cody did to Bobbie Ann.

It was a disgusting, brutal, heinous attack on a small, petite, young girl who didn't stand a chance against a grown man with a claw hammer.

With all things considered, at the sentencing hearing, the judge decided that Cody Ackland would spend life in prison with the possibility of parole after 31 years.

With a case like this, though, the prosecutors say that he will most likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, and I do sincerely hope that he does.

Of course, after the death of Bobby, her family and friends were all left with such a massive hole in their hearts.

such a gap in their lives that can never be filled.

This was genuinely such a senseless murder for the most random of reasons.

Someone who was just randomly out there who happened to spot Bobby of all people and took whatever anger he had for whatever reason out on her.

It's awful, it's devastating, and it's absolutely senseless.

But that is all of the information that I have on today's video.

Again, this is such an awful case and I'm happy that Cody got a life sentence and I hope that he will never see the day of light ever again.

I obviously am also happy that he confessed to this murder and was able to get the case solved pretty quickly.

But police have said that they were confident that they would have solved this case regardless of whether he confessed or not.